Exploiting Chloroform-COware Chemistry for Pd-Catalyzed Carbonylation of Naturally Occurring and Medicinally Relevant Phenols

In this study, a ligand-free palladium-catalyzed carbonylation of phenols is conducted under ambient conditions, utilizing the "Chloroform-COware" chemistry. The developed methodology enables the conversion of diverse medicinally relevant phenols, encompassing both natural and synthetic derivatives, into their respective aryl ester counterparts. This transformation is achieved through the reaction with a broad spectrum of aryl and heteroaryl iodides. The protocol is characterized by its simplicity, generality, and wide substrate scope, delivering bioactive aryl ester derivatives in good to excellent yields. A direct comparison with the one-pot approach, resulting in poor yields of aryl esters, highlights the superior efficiency of the two-chamber setup (COware). Moreover, we successfully applied this two-chamber technique for gram-scale synthesis and postmodification of the synthesized ester to a pharmaceutically important benzocoumarin core.

Palladium-Catalyzed Esterification of Aryl Fluorosulfates with Aryl Formates

An efficient palladium-catalyzed carbonylation of aryl fluorosulfates with aryl formates for the facile synthesis of esters was developed. The cross-coupling reactions proceeded effectively in the presence of a palladium catalyst, phosphine ligand, and triethylamine in DMF to produce the corresponding esters in moderate to good yields. Of note, functionalities or substituents, such as nitro, cyano, methoxycarbonyl, trifluoromethyl, methylsulfonyl, trifluoromethoxy, fluoro, chloro, bromo, methyl, methoxy, N,N-dimethyl, and [1,3]dioxolyl, were well-tolerated in the reactions, which could be kept for late-stage modification. The reactions employing readily available and relatively robust aryl fluorosulfates as coupling electrophiles could potentially serve as an attractive alternative to traditional cross-couplings with the use of aryl halides and pseudohalides as substrates.

Formic Acid as Carbon Monoxide Source in the Palladium-Catalyzed N-Heterocyclization of o-Nitrostyrenes to Indoles

The reductive cyclization reaction of o-nitrostyrenes to generate indoles has been investigated for three decades using CO as a cheap reducing agent, but it remains an interesting area of research and improvements. However, using toxic CO gas has several drawbacks. As a result, it is highly preferable to use safe and efficient surrogates for in situ generation of CO from nontoxic and affordable sources. Among several CO sources that have been previously explored for the generation of gaseous CO, here we report the use of cheap and readily available formic acid as an effective reductant for the reductive cyclization of o-nitrostyrenes. The reaction is air and water tolerant and provides the desired indoles in yields up to 99%, at a low catalyst loading (0.5 mol %) and without generating toxic or difficult to separate byproducts. A cheap glass thick-walled "pressure tube" can be used instead of less available autoclaves, even on a 2 g scale, thus widening the applicability of our protocol.

4-Amino-2-butyl-7-methoxycarbonylthiazolo[4,5-c]quinoline

4-Amino-imidazo-, oxazolo-, and thiazoloquinolines are key structural scaffolds in the design of nucleoside base analogs for use as therapeutic agents. Current strategies for arriving at diverse substitutions at the C6–C9 positions of the thiazolo- and oxazoloquinolines, however, are limited due to difficulties in arriving at the thiazoloquinoline-5N-oxide intermediate using electron deficient aromatic systems. Here, we demonstrate a synthetic route to obtain substituted thiazoloquinolines with electron-withdrawing groups at the C7 position. The target compound, 4-amino-2-butyl-7-methoxycarbonylthiazolo[4,5-c]quinoline, is obtained in eight steps using a 7-bromo surrogate as a precursor to the successful generation of the N-oxide intermediate, and final transformation via Pd-mediated C7-acylation.

Manganese-Mediated C-C Bond Formation: Alkoxycarbonylation of Organoboranes

Alkoxycarbonylations are important and versatile reactions that result in the formation of a new C–C bond. Herein, we report on a new and halide-free alkoxycarbonylation reaction that does not require the application of an external carbon monoxide atmosphere. Instead, manganese carbonyl complexes and organo(alkoxy)borate salts react to form an ester product containing the target C–C bond. The required organo(alkoxy)borate salts are conveniently generated from the stoichiometric reaction of an organoborane and an alkoxide salt and can be telescoped without purification. The protocol leads to the formation of both aromatic and aliphatic esters and gives complete control over the ester’s substitution (e.g., OMe, O^tBu, OPh). A reaction mechanism was proposed on the basis of stoichiometric reactivity studies, spectroscopy, and DFT calculations. The new chemistry is particularly relevant for the field of Mn(I) catalysis and clearly points to a potential pathway toward irreversible catalyst deactivation.

Solar and visible-light active nano Ni/g-C3N4 photocatalyst for carbon monoxide (CO) and ligand-free carbonylation reactions

In this study, we investigate the amino and alkoxycarbonylation reaction between various substituted aryl halides, benzyl iodides, and iodocyclohexane with different types of amines and alcohols in the absence of carbon monoxide gas and ligands.

Rapid Organocatalytic Formation of Carbon Monoxide: Application towards Carbonylative Cross Couplings

Herein, the first organocatalytic method for the transformation of non‐derivatized formic acid into carbon monoxide (CO) is introduced. Formylpyrrolidine (FPyr) and trichlorotriazine (TCT), which is a cost‐efficient commodity chemical, enable this decarbonylation. Utilization of dimethylformamide (DMF) as solvent and catalyst even allows for a rapid CO generation at room temperature. Application towards four different carbonylative cross coupling protocols demonstrates the high synthetic utility and versatility of the new approach. Remarkably, this also comprehends a carbonylative Sonogashira reaction at room temperature employing intrinsically difficult electron‐deficient aryl iodides. Commercial ¹³C‐enriched formic acid facilitates the production of radiolabeled compounds as exemplified by the pharmaceutical Moclobemide. Finally, comparative experiments verified that the present method is highly superior to other protocols for the activation of carboxylic acids.

Urea Derivatives in Modern Drug Discovery and Medicinal Chemistry

The urea functionality is inherent to numerous bioactive compounds, including a variety of clinically approved therapies. Urea containing compounds are increasingly used in medicinal chemistry and drug design in order to establish key drug-target interactions and fine-tune crucial drug-like properties. In this perspective, we highlight physicochemical and conformational properties of urea derivatives. We provide outlines of traditional reagents and chemical procedures for the preparation of ureas. Also, we discuss newly developed methodologies mainly aimed at overcoming safety issues associated with traditional synthesis. Finally, we provide a broad overview of urea-based medicinally relevant compounds, ranging from approved drugs to recent medicinal chemistry developments.

Selenium-Catalyzed Carbonylative Synthesis of 3,4-Dihydroquinazolin-2(1H)-one Derivatives with TFBen as the CO Source

An efficient and general carbonylative procedure for the synthesis of 3,4-dihydroquinazolin-2(1H)-one from 1-(halomethyl)-2-nitrobenzenes and aryl/alkyl amines have been explored. In this approach, to avoid of using toxic CO gas, a solid and stable CO precursor, TFBen (benzene-1,3,5-triyl triformate), was utilized. With elemental selenium as the catalyst, a variety of aryl/alkyl amines has been tolerated well to afford the corresponding 3,4-dihydroquinazolin-2(1H)-one products in moderate to excellent yields under mild reaction condition.

Chloroform as a CO surrogate: applications and recent developments

The carbonyl moiety is one of the indispensable sub-units in organic synthesis with significant applications in medicinal as well as materials chemistry. Hence the insertion of a carbonyl group via simple and highly efficient routes has been one of the most challenging tasks for organic chemists. Though the direct utilisation of CO gas in carbonylation is the fundamental procedure for the construction of carbonyl compounds, it has certain drawbacks due to its toxic and explosive nature. As a result, the need for cheap and efficient CO surrogates has gained much attention nowadays by which CO gas can be easily generated in situ or ex situ. In this review we discuss the advantages of chloroform as CO surrogate and have surveyed recent carbonylation reactions where chloroform has been used as CO source.

Palladium-Catalyzed Decarboxylative Carbonylative Transformation of Benzyl Aryl Carbonates: Direct Synthesis of Aryl 2-Arylacetates

A procedure on palladium-catalyzed decarboxylative alkoxycarbonylation of carbonates for the synthesis of aryl 2-arylacetates has been developed. A broad range of aryl 2-arylacetates were obtained in good yields under mild conditions under a carbon monoxide atmosphere. Interestingly, other alcohols can be added as nucleophiles as well, and the corresponding esters were also obtained in good yields.

Palladium-catalyzed CO-free cyclizative carbonylation of 2-benzylpyridines leading to pyridoisoquinolinones

A CO-free palladium-catalyzed cyclizative carbonylation of 2-benzylpyridines was developed, leading to pyridoisoquinolinones in moderate to good yields.

Featuring Xantphos

This review highlights the use of the bisphosphine ligand group in homogeneous catalysis.

Palladium-catalyzed carbonylation of thioacetates and aryl iodides for the synthesis of S-aryl thioesters

Palladium-catalyzed carbonylation of thioacetates and aryl iodides provided thioesters in good yields.

Palladium-catalyzed synthesis of quinolin-2(1H)-ones: the unexpected reactivity of azodicarboxylate

A Pd(ii)-catalyzed synthesis of quinolin-2(1H)-ones from quinoline N-oxides with azodicarboxylates as the activating agent has been developed.

Pd/C-catalyzed reductive carbonylation of nitroaromatics for the synthesis of unsymmetrical ureas: one-step synthesis of neburon

A Pd/C catalyzed reductive carbonylation of nitroarenes for the synthesis of unsymmetrical ureas has been developed.

Pd-catalysed carbonylative annulation of salicylaldehydes with benzyl chlorides using N-formylsaccharin as a CO surrogate

A highly efficient synthesis of 3-arylcoumarins by Pd-catalysed carbonylative cyclisation of salicylaldehydes with benzyl chlorides using N-formylsaccharin as a CO source is developed.

Direct Palladium-Catalyzed Carbonylative Transformation of Allylic Alcohols and Related Derivatives

A direct, palladium-catalyzed, carbonylative transformation of allylic alcohols for the synthesis of β,γ-unsaturated carboxylic acids has been developed. With formic acid as the CO source, various allylic alcohols were conveniently transformed into the corresponding β,γ-unsaturated carboxylic acids with excellent linear and (E)-selectivity. The reaction was performed under mild conditions; toxic CO gas manipulation and high-pressure equipment were avoided in this procedure.

Rhodium-catalyzed synthesis of esters from aryl iodides and alcohols: use of alcohols with/without the assistance of aldehydes as carbon monoxide and nucleophile sources

A CO-gas-free rhodium-catalyzed alkoxycarbonylation of aryl iodide with alcohols has been developed.

A general and convenient palladium-catalyzed synthesis of benzylideneindolin-3-ones with formic acid as the CO source

A general and convenient palladium-catalyzed carbonylative synthesis of 2-benzylideneindolin-3-ones from 2-iodoanilines and arylacetylenes has been developed.

Palladium-catalyzed carbonylative synthesis of benzofuran-2(3H)-ones from 2-hydroxybenzyl alcohols using formic acid as the CO source

A palladium-catalyzed carbonylative intramolecular synthesis of benzofuran-2(3H)-ones from 2-hydroxybenzyl alcohols has been developed with formic acid as the CO source, various desired products were obtained in moderate to good yields.

Palladium-catalyzed carbonylative Sonogashira coupling of aryl diazonium salts with formic acid as the CO source: the effect of 1,3-butadiene

An efficient carbonylative cross-coupling of aryl diazonium salts with terminal alkynes using formic acid as the CO source has been developed. And 1,3-butadiene was found to play a crucial role in this transformation.